THE TIGKR. 273 



and go to a jungle where he has heard of tigers, to make 

 sure of killing one, will find himself very much mistaken 

 on trying. A number of sportsmen with a large line of 

 elephants may kill tigers if they simply beat through 

 likely covers for a long enough time ; and many tigers 

 are thus killed, or by driving the jungle with beaters, 

 without the possession of any skill in woodcraft what- 

 ever. But no sort of hunting requires more careful 

 arrangements, greater knowledge of the habits of the 

 animal, perseverance, and good shooting, than the pursuit 

 of the tiger by a single sportsman with a single elephant. 



At the outset of one's experience in forest life it 

 is impossible to avoid the belief that the tiger of 

 story is about to show himself at every step one 

 takes in thick jungle; and it is not till every effort 

 to meet with him has been used in vain that one realises 

 how very little danger from tigers attends a mere 

 rambler in the jungles. During ten years of pretty 

 constant roamins^ about on foot in the most tio-erish 

 localities of the Central Provinces, I have only once 

 come across a tiger when I was not out shooting, and 

 only twice more when I was not actually searching 

 for tigers to shoot. In truth, excepting in the very 

 haunts of a known man-eater, there is no danirer 

 whatever in traversing any part of the jungles of this, 

 or I believe any other part of India. 



Some people affect to despise the practice of using 

 elephants in following tigers, and talk a great deal 

 about shooting them on foot. As regards danger to 

 the sportsman, nine-tenths of the tigers said to be 

 shot on foot are really killed from trees or rocks, 

 where the sportsman is quite secure. The only 

 danger then is to the unfortunate beaters, if used ; 



